YPSILANTI, Mich. — No. 1 Dalton State women's golf opened the 2026 NAIA Women's National Championship with the tournament's best team round, carding +13 at Eagle Crest Golf Club to take the early lead after 18 holes.
 
TOP 5 LEADERBOARD
#1 Dalton State — +13 (301)
#18 Truett McConnell — +15 (303)
#6 British Columbia — +17 (305) (T-3)
#12 Southeastern (FL) — +17 (305) (T-3)
#2 Keiser — +22 (310) (T-5)
#3 SCAD-Savannah (Ga.) — +22 (310) (T-5)
 
ROUND 1 RECAP (301, +13)
Jia Kataria — T-2, 74 (+2)

• Front nine (OUT): 35 — Kataria went out in one-under, highlighted by three birdies on the front (birdies at holes 5, 7, and 9) to create early separation.
• Back nine (IN): 39 — Kataria kept attacking with a birdie on 10 and another on 15, but a pair of costly double bogeys (13 and 18) kept the round from dipping under par.

Sara Burger — T-7, 75 (+3)

• Front nine (OUT): 37 — Burger turned in a controlled outward nine, limiting mistakes and staying near even.
• Back nine (IN): 38 — Burger's back side was similarly steady, with a few blemishes but mostly clean holes to keep the scorecard manageable.

Reese Day — T-22, 76 (+4)

• Front nine (OUT): 40 — The front nine included a bright early moment (birdie at hole 2) but was offset by a tough swing hole where Day made a double bogey at 5.
• Back nine (IN): 36 — Day responded with an excellent inward nine at even-par 36, highlighted by two birdies (holes 12 and 17) and steady play the rest of the way.

Tylah James — T-22, 76 (+4)

• Front nine (OUT): 40 — James battled through early adversity, including a double bogey at 2, but answered with a key birdie at 5 to steady the card.
• Back nine (IN): 36 — James closed with a calm even-par 36, using a birdie at 13 to erase a bogey and keep the momentum moving forward.

Tara Phipps — T-46, 78 (+6)

• Front nine (OUT): 39 — Phipps found a spark with a birdie at 7, helping hold the outward nine to a manageable number.
• Back nine (IN): 39 — The back nine featured solid stretches, but a double bogey at 15 proved costly in an otherwise competitive effort.

UP NEXT
The top-ranked Lady Roadrunners will hit the course on Thursday, May 21 at 1:00 p.m. for Round 2 of the now 54-hole national championship.
 
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